President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced a change in the leadership of intelligence agencies. Oleh Ivashchenko, who previously held the position of head of the Foreign Intelligence Service, has been appointed the new head of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense. The head of state reported this in his Telegram channel.
Zelensky noted that Ivashchenko would focus his work on military intelligence, in particular on tasks related to deterring and reducing the military capabilities of the Russian Federation.
The president also spoke about a working meeting he had with Oleg Ivashchenko when he was still the head of the Foreign Intelligence Service. During the conversation, the security situation around Ukraine and the main threats to the state were discussed.
Separately, Zelensky stressed the importance of increasing economic pressure on Russia. According to him, Ukraine will continue actions aimed at reducing the aggressor country’s income, in particular by limiting opportunities and reducing the profitability of Russian oil exports. Such measures should contribute to the expansion of diplomatic instruments of influence.
In addition, the state will continue to work on countering the Russian military-industrial complex, paying attention to the destruction of Russia’s international ties and stopping sanctions circumvention schemes. The President expressed gratitude to the Foreign Intelligence Service for the work done and the analytical materials provided.
It is also reported that Kirill Budanov agreed to head the Office of the President and determined the main directions of his further activities.
